Steam-heating system.



Patented July 29, I902. W. E. BOYS.

STEAM HEATING SYSTEM.

(Application filed Nov. 16, 1900.)

(No Model.)

A TTOHNE Y8 ,r E m:

. I I N uma. wAsumGTON D c UNITED STATES 1 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIS E. ROYS, OF RICHMOND HILL, NElV YORK, ASSIGNORTO MARGARET T. BOYS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STEAM-HEATING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent m. 705,969, dated July 29, 1902. V Application filed November 16 1900. Serial No. 36 ,685. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern: Be it known that I, WILLIS E. RoYs, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of the cityof New York, borough of Queens,-in the 5 county of Queens and State of New York,

have invented a new and Improved Steam- Heating System, of' which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to gravity steamheating systems; and its object is to provide a new and improved steamheating system wherebythe user can control the amount of heat radiating from any radiator in the system to insure proper heating of rooms to a I5 predetermined degree and to provide a free return of the water of condensation to the steam-generator.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as

will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claim.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure lis a side elevation of the improvement. 'Fig. 2 is an enlargedsectional side elevation of the steam-trap for preventing o escape of steam from a radiator and allowing the return-flow of the water of condensation, and Fig. 3 isa sectional side elevation'of the automatic return-trap for returning the water of condensation to the steam-generator.

3 5 In gravity steam-heating systems of; the double or single pipe types and as heretofore constructed it was necessary for the proper workings of the system to keep the radiatorsupply valves completely open, as otherwise 40 the radiators would fill up in a short time with the water of condensation. This water of condensation should be returned to the steamgenerator as quickly as possible to avoid undue exposure'of the crown-sheet and other exposed heating-surfaces. When the radiator is once filled with water and it becomes necessary to reopen the radiator-supply valve to again heat a room,'then the water in passing from the radiator and meeting the hot steam in the pipes below produces the well-known and undesirable pounding or hammering. Thus in' systems of gravity steam-heating as heretofore constructed it was absolutely necessary to keep the radiator- V supply valve fully open during the working of the system to avoid serious consequences. \Vith my improved gravity steam-heating system the user can set the radiator-supply valve at any desired position to fill the'radiator with more or less steam and heat the room to a predetermined degree without danger of the water of condensation accumulatingin the radiator and depriving the generator of the water or causing the undesirable pounding or hammering. From a steam-generator A, of any approved construction, leads a steam-supply pipe B, connected by a branch pipe 0 with a radiator D, of any approved construction, located in the room to be heated. In the branch pipe 0, adjacent to theradiator D, is arranged a radiator-supply valve E, of any approved construction and under the control of the operator to admit more or less steam to the radiator, as desired. The outlet of the radiator is connected with a steam-trap F (shown in detail in Fig. 2) and connected by a return-pipe G with a pressure-relief device H, such as a receiver in the form of an open pipe, tank, or the like, so that the wa- 8o ter of condensation flows by its own gravity from the steam-trap F to the pressure-relief device H, which is open to the atmosphere. The pressure-relief device H feeds the water ,of condensation to an automatic return device I, connected with the generator A, so that the water of condensation is automatically returned to the generator without any back pressure being possible in the returnpipe G. p

The trap F consists, essentially, of a casing F, into which flows the water of condensation from the radiator D, and in the casing is arranged a fioat F rising andfall-ing with the water of condensation and preferably pivoted at F on a bracket F attached to the valve-seat F on which is adapted to be seated a valve F, carried by the float F The valveseat F connects with the return-pipe G, so thatwhen the float F swings upward the valve F moves from the valve-seat F and the Water of condensation in the casing F can flow from the latter through the valveseat F to the return-pipe G. The float F and the valve F are so arranged that the valve F closes or seats itself on the valveseat F previously to the valve-seat becominguncovered by the water in the casing F. Thus by the arrangement described the water of condensation is freely discharged through the pipe G and flows by its own gravity to the pressure-relief device H, and at the same time the steam in the radiator cannot escape into the return-pipe G, as the inlet thereto is sealed by the water in the trap when the valve F is open.

The automatic ret urn device I (shown in detail in Fig. 3) consists, essentially, of a casing I, connected by a pipe I with the steam-compartment of the generator A, and on said pipe within the casing I is arranged a valve I, controlled by a float I rising and falling with the water flowing into the casing I from the pressure-relief device H. A pipe I connects for the purpose the pressure-relief device H with the bottom of the casing I, and in this pipe I is arranged a checkvalve 1 which closes to the pressure-relief device H when the valve 1 is opened and steam passes into the casing I and presses on the water therein. The water-return pipe 1 leading to the water-compartment of the steam-generator A, is likewise connected With the casing I and contains a check-valve 1 which closes when the valve 1 is closed by back pressure from the steam-generator on the water in the pipe 1 It is understood that when the valve 1 is closed the float I is casing I.

in a lowermost position, and water can now flow from the pressure-relief device 11 by its own gravity past the check-valve I into the As the water rises the float I is moved upward and the valve I is opened, so that the steam from the generator A passes into the casing I and forces the water therein out through the pipe I past the check-valve I back into the generator A. During this operation the check-valve I is closed to prevent a return flow of the water from the easing I to the pressure-relief device H.

The main supply-pipe B is provided with the usual drip-pipe J for carrying the water of condensation in the supply-pipe B back to the steam-generator. The radiator D is provided with a suitable air-valve K for letting out the air from the radiator when starting the system upon opening the valve E.

When the system is in operation, the valve E controls the amount of steam flowing into a radiator D to heat a room to a predetermined degree, the valveE being set correspondingly for the purpose-that is, opened more or less,

as the case may be. Now as the water of condensation'in the radiator is immediately disposed of by being caused to flow to the pressure-relief device H and as steam cannot escape into the return-pipe G it is evident that the radiator can be filled with any desired amount of steam to heat the room to that degree of heat to which the valve E is set. As the relief-pressuredevice H is atall times open to the atmosphere, it is evident that no back pressure Whatever can act on the water in the return-pipeG or on the steam in the radiator D, and consequently my system will always be in proper working order, no matter to what position the said valve E is set.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the radiators in the different rooms of a dwelling, for instance, can be set independently one of the other, according to the degree of heat desired in any one of the rooms. Thus one room may be highly heated, another moderately heated, and in a third one the heat may be entirely shut off without the slightest danger of causing hammering or pounding in the heating system. By the employment of the traps F the steam is prevented from passing from one radiator by way of the return-pipe G to another radiator, and by having the return-pipe G open to the atmosphere there is no chance for binding air in the return-pipe, and thereby causingbachpressure therein and on the water of condensation in the trap, it being evident that with the controlling device E of a radiator partly opened and back pressure in the trap the water of condensation would be prevented from leaving the radiator and the latter thus rendered uncontrollable. As the Water of condensation is periodically, independently, and quickly retu rned fromthe several radiators to the boiler, there is no danger from undue exposure of the crown-sheets and other exposed heatingsurfaces, and at the same time the heat units of the water of condensation are not wasted, thus making the system not only a safe one, but a very economic one.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent---- 7 A gravity steam system,comprising a steamgenerator, a plurality of radiators, steam-supply connections between the generator and the said radiators, steam-admission and temperature-controlling devices in the said connections adjacent to the radiators, each controlling device serving to regulate the amount of steam passing to its particular radiator and to control the degree of heat to which the room is to be heated, a water-of-condensationdisposing device connected with each radiator and arranged to receive and discharge the ac cumulating Water of condensation from the radiator independently of said controlling device and irrespective of the pressure in the radiator, said water-of-condensation-disposing device preventing escape of steam from the radiator and a return connection between the said water-of-condensation-disposing device and the said generator, to return the wa-' ter of condensation to the generator, said return connection containing a pressuremelief device open to the atmosphere, and an automatic return device between the said gener ator and the said relief device, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this instrument in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIS E. BOYS.

Witnesses:

HARRY STUBLEY, WILLIAM E. VALENTINE. 

